WACO, Texas - Baylor, Maryland and Fairmont State have united in changing the name of the sport previously known as competitive cheer on their campuses to acrobatics and tumbling, the schools jointly announced Friday.

With this name change, all six inaugural members of the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association are now united under the same sport name. Azusa Pacific, Baylor, Fairmont State, Maryland, Oregon and Quinnipiac were the NCATA's founding members during the organization's inaugural season in 2011. Oregon won the first-ever NCATA National Championships, held in Eugene, Ore. April 7-9.

"This name change provides a more representative description of the sport and aligns Baylor with the other institutions sponsoring this program," said Ian McCaw, Director of Athletics.

Unifying the six acrobatics and tumbling programs in their name further supports the NCATA and their emerging sport proposal for acrobatics and tumbling recently submitted to the NCAA.

"Baylor University is making a move to help the sport of acrobatics and tumbling in many ways," head coach Karry Forsythe said. "Acrobatics and tumbling is a skill set that evolved from gymnastics, sideline cheerleading, and all star cheer. I believe that the name better suits what our student-athletes are doing in this sport. I look forward to the growth of acrobatics and tumbling across the nation and hope that this unified name helps the NCATA with our main goal of emerging sport status."

The acrobatics and tumbling season begins in February. Complete schedules will be released in the fall.